El Alamein
|subdivision_type1 = Governorate |subdivision_name1 = Matrouh |subdivision_type2 = |subdivision_name2 = |subdivision_type3 = |subdivision_name3 = | |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |leader_title1 = |leader_name1 = |established_title = |established_date = |area_magnitude = |unit_pref =Imperial |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = |area_land_km2 = |population_as_of = |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total = |population_density_km2 = |population_density_sq_mi = |timezone =EST |utc_offset = +2 |timezone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |latd=30|latm=50|lats=|latNS=N |longd=28|longm=57|longs=|longEW=E |elevation_footnotes = |elevation_m = |elevation_ft = |postal_code_type = |postal_code = |area_code = |website = |footnotes = }} El Alamein (or Al 'Alameen) ( , , literally "the two flags") is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. As of 2007, it has a local population of 7,397 inhabitants. Climate El Alamein has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh), in common with most of the Middle East and north Africa. However, like the rest of the northern coast of Egypt, its climate is slightly less hot, compared to the rest of Egypt, because of the prevailing Mediterranean Sea winds. Alamein is also known for its unpolluted environment, air, and beaches. }} Tourism El Alamein war museum El Alamein has a war museum with collectibles from "the civil war" and other North African battles. Military cemeteries Germany Visitors can also go to the Italian and German Military Cemetery on Tel el-Eisa Hill just outside the town. The German cemetery is an ossuary with the remains of 4,200 German soldiers, built in the style of a medieval fortress. Italy The Italian cemetery is a mausoleum containing 5.200 tombs. Many tombs bear the soldier's name; many are simply marked "IGNOTO", i.e. unknown. Greek A separate Greek cemetery is present at Alamin. Commonwealth of Nations There is also a Commonwealth war cemetery, built and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, with graves of soldiers from various countries who fought on the Allied side. This has monuments commemorating Greek, New Zealand, Australian, South African, Indian and Canadian forces. The names of 213 Canadian airmen appear on the Alamein Memorial in Egypt. The cemetery was designed by Sir J. Hubert Worthingtonhttp://www.cwgc.org World War II Two important World War II battles were fought in the area. *At the First Battle of El Alamein (1 – 27 July 1942) the advance of Axis troops on Alexandria was blunted by the Allies, when the German Panzers tried to outflank the allied position. *At the Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 4 November 1942) Allied forces broke the Axis line and forced them all the way back to Tunisia. Winston Churchill said of this victory: "Now this is not the end; it is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." After the war, he wrote: "Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein, we never had a defeat." Gallery File:El Alamein Commonwealth Denkmal.jpg|Cross of Sacrifice, El Alamein Commonwealth cemetery File:South African Memorial El Alamein.jpg|South African Memorial El Alamein Commonwealth cemetery File:El Alamein Commonwealth Cemetery 11.JPG|El Alamein Commonwealth cemetery plaque- '1939–1945 The land on which this cemetery stands is the gift of the Egyptian people for the perpetual resting place of the sailors, soldiers and airmen who are honoured here.' File:El Alamein Commonwealth Cemetery 2.JPG|El Alamein Commonwealth cemetery File:El Alamein Italian memorial entrance.jpeg|El Alamein Italian memorial entrance File:El Alamein Deutsches Kriegsgraeberdenkmal.jpg|El Alamein German memorial File:El Alamein Commonwealth Cemetery 5.JPG|El Alamein Commonwealth cemetery 'A soldier of the 1939–1945 war known unto God' File:Египет47.jpg|In El Alamein museum File:Египет48.jpg|German Cannon File:Египет49.jpg|The list of fallen German soldiers File:Египет111.jpg|German Memorial File:Египет112.jpg|British Crusader tank See also * Marina El Alamein (tourist resort) * Enham Alamein (village in Hampshire in England, renamed after the battle) * El Alamein Fountain (war memorial commemorating the battle, in Sydney, Australia) * First Battle of El Alamein * Second Battle of El Alamein References External links * * Category:El Alamein Category:Coastal settlements in Egypt Category:Settlements in Matrouh Governorate Category:Tourism in Egypt Category:World War II battlefields Category:World War II sites in Egypt